Yevgeny Prigozhin
Евгений Пригожин
🇷🇺 RussiaKIA
Role
Wagner Group Founder & Commander
Rank
Civilian (Paramilitary)
War Period
Sep 2022 – Aug 2023
Yevgeny Prigozhin founded and led the Wagner Group private military company, which played a major role in Russia's capture of Bakhmut — the longest battle of the war. Operating independently from the Russian MoD, Wagner recruited heavily from Russian prisons. In June 2023 Prigozhin launched a short-lived armed mutiny, marching Wagner forces on Moscow before stopping. He died in a plane crash in August 2023, widely attributed to Kremlin retaliation.
Key Operations
- —Battle of Bakhmut (August 2022 – May 2023) — Wagner led
- —Battle of Soledar (December 2022 – January 2023)
- —Wagner mutiny / "March of Justice" (June 23–24, 2023)
Notable
Prigozhin's June 2023 mutiny was the most significant internal challenge to Putin's authority since the 1990s. His death in a plane crash two months later was widely seen as Kremlin-ordered assassination.
Other Russia Commanders
Vladimir Putin
ActiveSupreme Commander-in-Chief
Valery Gerasimov
ActiveChief of the General Staff / Commander of Russian forces in Ukraine
Sergei Surovikin
DismissedFormer Commander of Russian forces in Ukraine
Alexander Dvornikov
DismissedFormer Overall Commander of Russian forces in Ukraine
Mikhail Mizintsev
ActiveDirector of Russia's National Defense Management Center; commander of Mariupol siege
Mikhail Teplinsky
ActiveCommander of Russian Airborne Forces (VDV)
Rustam Muradov
DismissedFormer Commander of the Eastern Military District
Aleksandr Lapin
DismissedCommander of the Central Military District ("Group Center")
Andrei Mordvichev
ActiveCommander of the 8th Guards Combined Arms Army; later Commander of "Group South"
Oleg Salyukov
ActiveCommander-in-Chief of Russian Ground Forces
Aleksandr Zhuravlyov
ActiveCommander, Western Military District; Commander, "Group North" (2024)
Sergei Shoigu
ReplacedFormer Minister of Defence of Russia; Secretary of the Security Council
Andrei Belousov
ActiveMinister of Defence of Russia
Yunus-bek Yevkurov
ActiveDeputy Minister of Defence of Russia
Oleg Tsokov
KIADeputy Commander of the Southern Military District
Gennady Anashkin
ActiveCommander of the "Group South" forces
Related Battles & Operations
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Yevgeny Prigozhin?
Yevgeny Prigozhin founded and led the Wagner Group private military company, which played a major role in Russia's capture of Bakhmut — the longest battle of the war. Operating independently from the Russian MoD, Wagner recruited heavily from Russian prisons. In June 2023 Prigozhin launched a short-lived armed mutiny, marching Wagner forces on Moscow before stopping. He died in a plane crash in August 2023, widely attributed to Kremlin retaliation.
What is Yevgeny Prigozhin's role in the Ukraine war?
Yevgeny Prigozhin (Civilian (Paramilitary)) served as Wagner Group Founder & Commander on the Russia side. Service period: Sep 2022 – Aug 2023. Current status: KIA.
What key operations was Yevgeny Prigozhin involved in?
Battle of Bakhmut (August 2022 – May 2023) — Wagner led. Battle of Soledar (December 2022 – January 2023). Wagner mutiny / "March of Justice" (June 23–24, 2023).
What is notable about Yevgeny Prigozhin in the context of the Ukraine war?
Prigozhin's June 2023 mutiny was the most significant internal challenge to Putin's authority since the 1990s. His death in a plane crash two months later was widely seen as Kremlin-ordered assassination.
Is Yevgeny Prigozhin still active in the Ukraine war?
Yevgeny Prigozhin's current status is: KIA. They served during Sep 2022 – Aug 2023.